I’m Speaking at #SQLSat104 Colorado Springs 7 January 2012

I’ll be leading a discussion on Database Design Contentious Issues on 7 January in Colorado Springs.  This event is FREE, and there’s a $10 charge if you’d like to have lunch.  A full day of learning and networking all provided due to the support of vendors in the SQL Server community.  How awesome is that?

Database Design Contentious Issues

A highly interactive and popular session where attendees evaluate the options and best practices of common and advanced design issues, such as: * Natural vs. Surrogate keys * Classwords and other Naming Standards * Varchar Minimums *Identity Crisis * Who Calls the Shots and Who Does What? …and others. Bring your votes, your debates, and your opinions.

Session Level: Intermediate

This session is part debate, part therapy and part rant.  It’s my most popular presentation and I’d love to see you there.   This presentation also involves physical activity and hands on stuff.  A perfect afternoon slot for this, too.

Women in Technology

I’m also participating in the Women in Technology table at lunch with Meredith Ryan-Smith (Web | Twitter), Rebecca Mitchell (Web | Twitter) and Thomas LaRock (Web | Twitter).

More Fun Than Should be Legal

There’s a whole lot of great stuff packed into this SQLSaturday. Did you know that there will be professional resume writers there to take a look at your resume and give you feedback?  Or that there will be laser tag, bowling and miniature golf? There’s even a #SQLSki event planned.

On the Friday before, there are even 3 pre-cons scheduled:

1. “Scaling SQL Server” (Glenn Berry) 
2. “Data Warehouse Dimensional Design and Architecture Planning” (Erik Veerman)
3. “What’s In Your Utility Belt?” (Chris Shaw and TJay Belt)

These cost only $100 — a great deal for a day of training.

The Schedule

Isn’t that a great line up of speakers and content?  Why wouldn’t you want to be there?

Join us for a fun day of socializing, networking and fun.

Canada’s Smartest and Greenest IT Awards – 17 Nov – Toronto

I had the honour of judging the Canada’s Smarted and Canada’s Greenest IT awards along with James Alexander, CEO of the Quest for Canada’s Smartest IT (@JamesFAlexander)  and Shirley Blayney, General Business Solutions Manager at IBM.  There were some fabulous nominations. I was happy to see how Canadian organizations are providing advanced business solutions while taking care of the planet.

What are the awards?

The Quest for Canada’s Smartest IT is a competition that recognizes Canadian companies using technology to help their business, the environment and their communities. 2011 marks the second year of our wildly successful competition.

There are three categories of awards which you are eligible to apply for:

1. Smartest IT rewards companies using IT in innovative ways to help their business and/or their community.
2. Greenest IT recognizes companies using technology to help the environment, enhance sustainability, or demonstrate social responsibility.
3. Wow Story is a wild card award that honours the best “story” that we hear over the course of the nominations process. We encourage you to tell us your story today – what is business-as-usual to you, to your peers may well be an eye-opening way of using IT.

Watch video

The awards ceremony will be held Thursday, 17 November in Toronto.  I will be presenting the Canada’s Smartest IT Award.

You can register now and participate in celebrating Smart IT/Green IT at no charge.  There is a door charge if you can’t register in advance.

Handouts From My DAMA Speaking Tour

I had a fabulous time meeting DAMA Members in the US Midwest over the last couple of weeks.  I was worried most about making all these flights, but they all worked out well.  These DAMA Speaking Tours are something I look forward to every year.  If you are interested in booking one, contact chapters in your general area and propose some dates.

DAMA Minneapolis 

Career Success in the Data Profession

You’ve Just Inherited a Data Model, Now What? (Video)

DAMA Iowa

10 Physical Database Design Blunders

DAMA Chicago 

The Straw Poll Handouts

Career Success in the Data Profession

DAMA Day Nebraska

Data Modeling Contentious Issues

Join Me & Panel of Data Modeling Experts on BI and Data Governance – 16 Nov – Noon EST

I’m moderating a panel on BI, Data Governance and Data Modeling using Embarcadero ER/Studio on 16 November 2011, at noon EST.

Panelists include

• Kevin Phelps – Data Architect, American Century Investments, Inc., 
• Chris Bradley, Business Consulting Director, Information Processing Limited
• Jason Tiret – Director of Modeling and Architecture Solutions, Embarcadero Technologies

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to:

• Increase visibility and buy-in with business users
• Ensure smooth compliance with changing data privacy regulations
• Enable data stewards to meet requirements strategically

What makes this even more interesting is that audience members, like you, will have a chance to submit questions beforehand and during the event.

Details of the event:
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
9 a.m. Pacific, noon Eastern and 5 p.m. in the UK

When you register you’ll be asked to submit your questions.  Please do so.  We love having questions from YOU!

I’m deeming the hashtag for this event to be #DMExperts  I will try to take Tweeted questions, too. 

Speaking: #SQLSat96 Washington, DC …well… Chevy Chase, MD 5 Nov

I’ll be presenting Model Driven Database Design on Saturday, 5 November at the SQL Saturday Washington DC. Which is being held in Chevy Chase, Maryland.  Yes, I know this is the greater DC area.  Last year it was held in Reston, Virginia. But these data things drive data architects crazy.  That’s why you really don’t want to live with a data architect.  Ever.

Anyway, I’ll be presenting a brand new presentation that covers:

Model-Driven Database Design

Model-Driven Database Development: Myths, Magic and Methods. In this presentation, Karen discusses data model-driven database development from the point of view of the Data Architect, the DBA, and the Developer. She will cover topics such as "Who does what?", "Why are we doing this?", "Do I have to Use a GUI?" and "Just who do you think you are?". Finally, 10 tips for making model-driven database development successful in your organization’s culture and environment.

Session Level: Beginner

Karen Lopez

Karen López is Sr. Project Manager and Architect at InfoAdvisors, Inc. Karen is a frequent speaker at conferences and user groups. She has 20+ years of experience in project and data management on large, multi-project programs. Karen specializes in the practical application of data management principles. Karen is also the ListMistress and moderator of the InfoAdvisors Discussion Groups at www.infoadvisors.com.

I’m up against some fairly big name speakers, so I’m really hoping to see you in my session.  Both of us can have a great time talking about data models.  See you there.

Speaking: DAMA Day Nebraska (Omaha) 3 November – Data Modeling Contentious Issues

The final stop on my DAMA speaking tour is DAMA Nebraska for their DAMA Day. 

Data Modeling Contentious Issues
A highly interactive and popular session where attendees evaluate the options and best practices of common and advanced data modeling issues, such as:

• Party/party role
• Natural vs. surrogate keys
• Class Models vs. Data Models
• SOAs, Ontologies, ESBs, New TLAs and Shoe Strings
• What is Logical? What is Physical? Why Do We Care?
• Politics vs. Customer Satisfaction

Participants in this session will be presented with an issue along with a range of responses or possible solutions. Participants will vote on their preferred response, then the group as a whole will discuss the results, along with the merits of each possible response. If the specific issue has been discussed in other presentations, a summary of the responses of the other groups will be presented. The goal of this workshop is to help practitioners identify potential points of conflict in data modeling, as well as alternative approaches to resolving the issues.

This DAMA Day is sponsored by Embarcadero and they will be making a presentation as well.  Registration is requested.